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U.S. Marine Corps Brig. Gen. David Walsh, Commander of Marine Corps System Command and native of Brooklyn, New York, and Pete Hegseth, a fox and friends co-host, conduct a cake cutting ceremony live during a Fox and Friends morning broadcast in New York City, New York, November 10, 2023. (Theodore Bergan/U.S. Marine Corps)
The biographies of modern defense secretaries read like a who’s who of Washington insiders, mostly former elected officials and long-time bureaucrats. A large portion of society has become so accustomed to seeing Washington insiders lead the Department of Defense that the nomination of Pete Hegseth appears sacrilege. It bucks the conventional norm of what appears to be a tenure system in Washington — play in Washington long enough and you will be rewarded.
Hegseth leading the Defense Department is unorthodox, but in many ways is a direct result of President-elect Donald Trump’s regular messaging and campaign promises.
Trump has long called for draining the swamp, a phrase meant to define removing the toxic careerists burrowed in at various agencies. Trump has established a Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) led by two highly successful private-sector leaders with little to no experience in the Washington bubble. Trump nominated a secretary of education, Linda McMahon, who does not reflect traditional K-12 or higher education appointees. This is far from unusual for Trump.
Regardless of conventional thought, Hegseth is a solid choice. Here are five reasons why Hegseth is supremely qualified to serve as secretary of defense, especially in today’s environment:
1. Hegseth is more closely aligned with the modern service member and veteran, with recent combat experience. He led troops in Iraq and Afghanistan, not from a desk in Washington.
2. While not a Washington insider in the traditional sense, Hegseth has a unique ability to navigate between elites in Washington while remaining relatable to everyday Americans, a trait that will serve him well when communicating with Congress, senior officers and the troops.
3. Hegseth has mastered media engagement, an often-underappreciated skill that serves any Cabinet official well. Hegseth will not shy away from the cameras. And that equals transparency.
4. Hegseth has a special appreciation and knowledge of the intersection between the departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs, regularly analyzing and advocating for improvements across both agencies.
5. Hegseth is squarely focused on military lethality, or in simpler terms, winning wars. His focus is singular, one that provides clarity to warfighters serving in uniform at all ranks. He made as much clear during a recent podcast with Shawn Ryan.
Finally, the selection of Hegseth should not shock those following Trump. His name was floated for secretary of veterans affairs previously. In other words, Trump appears to have eyed Hegseth for a Cabinet post for years, and signaled as much, whether directly or indirectly.
Yes — Hegseth breaks the traditional mold of being a Washington insider. But he has such a unique set of credentials and skills that make him capable of serving and succeeding as secretary of defense.
Harvard- and Princeton-educated — the academics cannot dismiss that. A media personality — critics will have a hard time trapping him. A combat leader — the troops will respect him.
If Hegseth can navigate the nomination process, a gauntlet made up of naysayers hell-bent on character assassination, he could become the secretary of defense we never knew we needed.
Michael Dakduk is a U.S. Marine Corps veteran who served in Iraq and Afghanistan. He previously ran Student Veterans of America, where he first met Pete Hegseth as an advocate on military and veterans issues. He works as an executive and board member in nonprofits, advocacy organizations and private companies.
